Death threats for Australian climate scientists

[marmar]

from Grist:



Australian climate scientists are paying a steep price for their work, as opponents of Australia's proposed tax on carbon emissions have embraced an attack the messenger strategy. More than 30 researchers told the Canberra Times that they have received emails "threatening violence, sexual assault, public smear campaigns and attacks on family members." In response, several universities are reported to have moved targeted researchers into more secure buildings.

American scientists are all too familiar with this type of intimidation. As Mother Jones' Kate Sheppard noted in April, leading climate change experts have been subjected to a constant barrage of threats and abuse. Michael Mann, director of the Earth System Science Center at Penn State, has been labeled a "terrorist" and "killer," among other epithets. The vitriol climaxed in the months after the so-called "Climategate" scandal broke in late 2009. Emails to scientists, later obtained by the Guardian, suggested that they "go gargle razor blades" and repeatedly referred to them as Nazis.

The media and even elected officials have vigorously fanned the flames, portraying mainstream climate scientists as conniving frauds and potential criminals. A report released in February 2010 by the minority staff of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, led by notorious climate change denier Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.), claimed that the emails exchanged among the scientists at the heart of Climategate "display unethical, and possibly illegal, behavior" by those involved. Even though Climategate turned out to be much ado about nothing, a number of the scientists profiled unsurprisingly found themselves on the receiving end of the most virulent hate mail.

In response to the latest developments in Australia, Professor Margaret Sheil, CEO of the Australian Research Council, warned that the harassment of scientists threatens to have a chilling effect on continuing climate research: "It may prevent or reduce the involvement of key scientists in the public debate to which they are making a vital contribution. In the longer term, it may affect the choices made by post-docs and research students in pursuing climate change science." Carbon taxes or not, surely that's something our warming planet can't afford.


http://www.grist.org/climate-change/2011-06-12-death-threats-for-australian-climate-scientists

[BlueJazz]

1. The truly unfair thing in all this bullshit is long after these liars....

...like Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) are dead, Society will pay the ultimate price for the misconstrued information regarding global warming.

[ensho]

2. remember during the Bush/neo con reign when many scientists either

had unexplained death, unexplained disappearence, or had unexplained accidents?

nuke/war industry Barons play dirty

[drm604]

3. So now the search for truth puts you and your family at risk of harm from deranged people.

How sad is that?

These people are attacking the enlightenment itself. It's like a modern inquisition. They are threatening the future of civilization.

I hope that they can track down and charge at least some of them.

[Nihil]

5. Not even as academic as "the search for truth" ...

> So now the search for truth puts you and your family at risk of harm
> from deranged people.
> How sad is that?

The climate scientists are searching for the information that could
determine how much of our species will survive and they are being attacked!


> These people are attacking the enlightenment itself. It's like a modern
> inquisition. They are threatening the future of civilization.

That is the point - and one that should be born in mind when punishment
is handed out for their crimes in trying to stifle the very science that
could save billions.

:grr:

[jpak]

4. Right wing thuggery is not an exclusive American value

and deniers suck

yup